President's Monthly Newsletter

December 2025

President Wubah

As we bring 2025 to a close, we do so with a profound sense of gratitude and momentum. This semester has reminded us that Millersville University is not defined simply by the passage of time, but by the purpose that unites us—advancing student success, strengthening our public mission and preparing graduates to lead with integrity in an ever-changing world.

Throughout the fall, our students embodied the very aspirations of Beyond Boundaries 2025–2030. In classrooms and laboratories, on stages and athletic fields, and through community-engaged learning experiences, they demonstrated intellectual curiosity, resilience and a commitment to making a difference. We celebrate, in particular, the members of the Class of 2025, whose achievements reflect both personal determination and the collective investment of a University deeply committed to access, opportunity and excellence.

At the heart of this progress is the extraordinary work of our faculty and staff. Your dedication to innovative teaching, inclusive learning environments, scholarship and student mentorship fuels Millersville’s transformation. Each day, you bring our strategic priorities to life—expanding pathways to success, fostering belonging and ensuring that our students are well prepared for careers, citizenship and lifelong learning.

As we enter the holiday season, I hope this time offers space for reflection, renewal and reconnection. Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, I am confident in our shared direction. Together, we are building a university that is bold in vision, grounded in values and responsive to the needs of our students and the communities we serve.

In this edition of my monthly newsletter, you will find highlights that reflect this momentum, including our Fall Commencement, the EPPIIC Journey Celebration, the 20th anniversary of Glorious Sounds of the Season and our efforts to keep our campus safe. You will also learn about the global perspectives and scholarly contributions of our visiting Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence—an example of how Millersville continues to extend its reach beyond campus boundaries.

Thank you for your continued leadership, partnership and belief in the promise of Millersville University. The future we are shaping—together—is one of purpose, possibility and impact.

Happy holidays! 

President Daniel A. Wubah

A person in a graduation gown shaking hands with a person in a graduation gownAlumnus Tim Mayza ’18 Uses the Language of Baseball to Impart Wisdom on Graduates

Our very own Tim Mayza ’18 shared his Millersville experience with the Class of 2025 at their commencement on Dec. 13. A pitcher with the Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays, Tim’s journey to a degree included taking time off to play Major League Baseball. He used the language he was most comfortable with – baseball – to impart wisdom on the more than 300 undergraduate and graduate students assembled.

The ceremony also provided an opportunity for us to recognize another admirable Millersville University athletics figure: Marge Trout, athletic director emeritus. Recipient of the President’s Medallion, Marge devoted her career to Millersville as a coach, educator and administrator for 37 years. We were very pleased to honor her unwavering dedication to our student-athletes.

A person in a red shirt and black jacket with a group of people in the backgroundGlorious Sounds of the Season Celebrates 20 Years 

Glorious Sounds of the Season, our annual holiday concert that celebrated its 20th year, generated more than $50,000 in revenue from ticket sales to benefit student scholarships and program development for the Tell School of Music. More than 300 students and faculty were featured during three delightful performances.  
 
If you missed your chance to participate in audience sing-alongs like Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus,” make sure you get your tickets early for the 2026 event. 

A group of people posing for a photo behind balloons in the shape of the current year, 2025EPPIIC Journey Celebration Honors Perseverance of Graduating Students

I was honored to be a part of the EPPIIC Journey Celebration and learn the powerful stories of resilience and perseverance from 16 of our graduating students. We created this event to allow students to share how their Millersville experience reflected our EPPIIC values of Exploration, Professionalism, Public Mission, Integrity, Inclusion and Compassion.

The two students who shared their reflections – Yetunde Agbanigo and Donovan August – spoke candidly about their personal challenges and the support they found here at Millersville.

As I said at the celebration, through the lessons they learned during their EPPIIC journeys, these special students have much to offer the world.  

A person standing at a podium with a microphoneMillersville Hosts Visiting Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence 

We were delighted to host Dr. Alessandra Landini as a Fulbright-Scholar-in-Residence throughout the Fall 2025 semester. An expert in inclusive and innovative didactic teaching methods, she serves as headmaster of the Istituto Comprensivo A. Manzoni in Reggio Emilia, Italy, which is comprised of five separate buildings and schools, including a childhood center, three primary schools and a middle school.

In addition to co-teaching courses with Millersville faculty members and working with the College of Education and Human Services, Landini presented at organizations throughout the state, worked with local school districts on workshops and STEAM curriculum and shared her cross-cultural perspectives on education. 

My thanks to Dr. Beth Powers, professor of early childhood education and coordinator of the Center for Public Scholarship and Social Change, who wrote the grant that brought Landini to Millersville.

A person in a suitEducation Professor Wins PASSHE Keepers of the Flame Award 

Congratulations to Dr. Miriam Witmer, who was presented with the PASSHE Keepers of the Flame Award at the annual Summit for her contributions to creating and promoting a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment at Millersville.

Miriam coordinates the Future Educator Pathway, a pipeline program to address both the national teacher shortage and the underrepresentation of teachers of color. The program also supports current Millersville students of color who are education majors by providing them with leadership opportunities, professional experiences, a support group network and a faculty mentor who works with them through the certification process. 

Dr. Lara Willox, dean of the College of Education and Human Services, says that Witmer works tirelessly for her students. “Miriam Witmer exemplifies what it means to put students first. Her unwavering dedication to listening to, valuing and elevating student voices influences every decision she makes. Miriam’s commitment ensures that education at Millersville University isn’t just about learning—it’s about creating a sense of belonging.” 

MU sign on a brick wallCampus Safety Initiatives  

The safety and well-being of the Millersville University community remain my highest priority. Through ongoing assessment, training and investment in critical infrastructure, we continue to strengthen our ability to prevent, respond to and recover from emergency situations. Recent national events underscore the importance of preparedness, coordination and clear communication in safeguarding our campus and those who learn, work and visit here each day.

This update highlights two key initiatives that advance those goals: an emergency tabletop exercise focused on an active assailant scenario, and a significant upgrade to the University’s Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) camera system. Together, these efforts reflect our proactive approach to campus safety.

Tabletop Exercise 
 
Our top priority at Millersville is the safety of our campus community members. The success of our Emergency Operations Plan – and our ability to keep safe students, faculty, staff and visitors – is tied to how prepared those participating in emergency operations are.

Our plan establishes that members of the Campus Emergency Response Team will participate in training and education like tabletop exercises to be prepared for emergencies and the fast-changing nature of emergency operations. Such a tabletop exercise was held on Dec. 16, several days after a gunman opened fire inside a Brown University classroom.

The scenario that was practiced at Millersville was an active assailant incident that involved the presence of armed, masked individuals on our campus when two major events were being held.

Much of what was discussed during the various stages of the scenario – for example, threat assessment, actions to be taken by campus offices, coordinating efforts with outside emergency personnel, communicating clearly and quickly – is included in an annex this is being added to our current Emergency Operations Plan.

The Active Assailant Annex “serves as a critical component of the University’s broader emergency preparedness framework. It outlines specific procedures, roles and responsibilities for preventing, responding to and recovering from an active assailant incident on or near campus.”

While such incidents are rare, those that do occur, like the Brown University shooting, are reminders for us to be diligent and proactive in our efforts to ensure the safety of our campus community members and visitors. All employees can play a role in creating a culture of awareness, vigilance and early intervention by making themselves familiar with emergency procedures, as well as the departments and resources that contribute to making ours a safe campus.

CCTV Camera System Upgrade 
 
Millersville recently replaced more than 500 cameras with a new, secure platform that provides MUPD with the tools and analytics to quickly identify and review footage when there is a campus safety concern.

Campus officials deployed a redesigned Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) camera system that moves away from the outdated practice of installing local servers to utilizing secure, encrypted camera- and cloud-based storage.

This initiative was coordinated through the Security and Emergency Management Committee under the direction of Pete Anders ’02, Chief of Police, and George Ciarrocchi, Executive Director of System, Networking, and Security Services. The Committee recognized both the need to replace most cameras, which were purchased more than 10 years ago, and to move video from local servers to encrypted cloud storage.

Ciarrocchi explored several systems used in private industry, by the U.S. government and by comparable university campuses. Millersville chose the vendor Verkada based on the functionality and resolution of the cameras, security and encryption of the device and cloud storage, built-in analytics, affordability, and finally, the relative ease of use for the University’s officers.

“CCTV is one area Millersville excels with safety,” shares Anders, who frequently meets with students and parents to promote safety through officer engagement and crime prevention, which includes CCTV. “Our students and visitors are aware of cameras across campus. The new cameras are very crisp and provide a platform that allows officers to view them from their vehicle computers or cell phones when a concern is reported. This functionality increases our efficiency when investigating serious incidents and threats to campus.”

Ciarrocchi’s staff replaced 95% of the cameras over the summer; the remaining cameras were replaced during the fall semester. “This security camera replacement represents our dedication to continually investing in the safety and security of our current and future students, faculty and staff at Millersville University,” he says.